James Othmer
Type of Fellow: Change Fellow
Description: James P. Othmer is a novelist, culture maven and brand consultant. He is the author of the acclaimed novels HOLY WATER, THE FUTURIST and the advertising memoir ADLAND: Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet (all published by Doubleday). An excerpt from THE FUTURIST was a fiction finalist for the National Magazine Award, and Fast Company named ADLAND one of the Best Business Books of 2009. A 25-year advertising survivor, he continues to consult and create award-winning work for some of the world’s most dynamic brands, including AT&T, Citi, Dannon, KFC, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Microsoft and GM. His essays, stories, Op-eds and reviews have recently appeared in Esquire, The New York Times, Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Nylon, Ad Age, Forbes.com and Conde Nast Portfolio. He’s recently been profiled by numerous international media outlets, from NPR’s Talk of the Nation to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and he’s a regular featured speaker at international marketing and writers’ conferences, universities and corporate gatherings. He’s currently working on his third novel, and a non-fiction book about the future of entertainment and branding called THE ROAD TO PANDORA.